TV Viewership For 2025 FCS Football Postseason Games

The 2025 FCS football season concluded with Montana State's thrilling overtime win over Illinois State in the national championship game.

The 2026 FCS National Championship game averaged 2.3 million viewers, the third-best in FCS national title history.

It's been a historic postseason for FCS football. The full FCS Playoffs averaged 1.4 million viewers nationally on ESPN networks. It's the best audience since 2009-10, growing over 8% year-over-year.

The semifinal game between Montana and Montana State became the most-watched FCS playoff game on record, averaging 2.8 million viewers. The quarterfinal round also drew its highest average audience since 2011.

Below are the TV viewership numbers for all the FCS postseason games this season, including the Celebration Bowl and SWAC Championship game.

2025 FCS TV Postseason Viewership

SWAC Championship

Prairie View A&M at Jackson State (268K, ESPN2)

Second Round

Rhode Island at UC Davis (138K, ESPN2)

Quarterfinals

Stephen F. Austin at Montana State (864K, ESPN)

Villanova at Tarleton State (1.5 million, ESPN)

South Dakota at Montana (1.9 million, ABC)

Semifinals

Montana at Montana State (2.8 million, ABC)

Illinois State at Villanova (400K, ESPN2)

Celebration Bowl

South Carolina State vs. Prairie View A&M (2.3 million, ABC)

FCS National Championship

Montana State vs. Illinois State (2.3 million, ESPN)

FCS National Championship Viewership History:

2025: Montana State vs. Illinois State (2.3 million, ESPN)

2024: North Dakota State vs. Montana State (2.41 million, ESPN)

2023: South Dakota State vs. Montana (1.04 million, ABC)

2022: North Dakota State vs. South Dakota State (1.07 million, ABC)

2021: North Dakota State vs. Montana State (1.32 million, ESPN2)

2021 Spring: South Dakota State vs. Sam Houston (905K, ABC)

2019: North Dakota State vs. James Madison (2.68 million, ABC)

2018: North Dakota State vs. Eastern Washington (1.00 million, ESPN2)

2017: North Dakota State vs. James Madison (1.52 million, ESPN2)

2016: James Madison vs. Youngstown State (1.56 million, ESPN2)

2015: North Dakota State vs. Jacksonville State (1.35 million, ESPN2)

2014: North Dakota State vs. Illinois State (1.44 million, ESPN2)

2013: North Dakota State vs. Towson (1.2 million, ESPN2)

2012: North Dakota State vs. Sam Houston (1.1 million, ESPN2)

Celebration Bowl Viewership History:

2025: South Carolina State vs. Prairie View A&M (2.3 million, ABC)

2024: Jackson State vs. South Carolina State (2.1 million, ABC)

2023: Florida A&M vs. Howard (1.51 million, ABC)

2022: North Carolina Central vs. Jackson State (2.42 million, ABC)

2021: South Carolina State vs. Jackson State (2.59 million, ABC)

2019: Alcorn State vs. North Carolina A&T (1.8 million, ABC)

2018: North Carolina A&T vs. Alcorn State (2.3 million, ABC)

2017: North Carolina A&T vs. Grambling State (2.36 million, ABC)

2016: North Carolina Central vs. Grambling State (2.71 million, ABC)

2015: North Carolina A&T vs. Alcorn State (2.56 million, ABC)

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